Atletico close to getting Vietto: Simeone

Madrid, June 10 (IANS) Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone said that Villarreal striker Luciano Vietto is “a close target” for ‘Los Rojiblancos’ and that his compatriot Carlos Tevez from Juventus would be an ideal addition.

“(Vietto) is an objective of (the coaches) and also the sporting directors. We are close and I hope to count on him for next season because he is a player with extraordinary characteristics, a second striker, who links well in attack, and scores goals,” Simeone said, reports Efe.

“I look upon him as being very similar to (David) Villa when he began, without being yet the goal-scorer he was for Spanish football. But with his play between the lines, which is very difficult to see in current football. He is very tactical, and he settled very well at Villarreal,” the Argentine added.

With regards to Tevez, Simeone said that they hadn’t spoken with the player yet but he was “excited” about the prospect of bringing his countryman to play at the Estadio Vicente Calderon.

“The truth is I have not spoken with Carlos but I know the club is speaking with his agent. It is always exciting to have players like Tevez. He has the best thing about this game – he bleeds football, apart from the number of goals he is capable of scoring each season. He would be an ideal signing for our idea of football at Atletico Madrid,” said the veteran tactician.